The Legend of the Guardians 3: The Two Brothers
by Mongoose Lover
Summary: After the death of Surtur, Kludd has become the new leader of the Pure Ones. Soren, meanwhile, advances, through the ranks of the Guardians. After Soren turns down Kludd's offer to join him, Kludd and Nyra enlist a young female owl named Ginger as well as their son Nyroc to join and destroy the Guardians from the inside while they make plans to lay siege to the Great Tree of Hoole.
1. Chapter 3: Reunion

**CHAPTER THREE: REUNION**

* * *

In the Land of Ga'hoole, the Tyto owl Soren rested in the Great Tree. He lived here with his family. Well, most of his family. His father and mother and younger sister Eglatine lived here. His brother Kludd, however, was presumed dead, though his body had never been found. Though Kludd had joined the Pure Ones and repeatedly had tried to kill him, Soren had taken his seeming death hard and was glad to learn that, based on the lack of a body found in the canyon near the old lair of the Pure Ones, that Kludd had to still be alive.

A messenger owl, one of the younger owlets who hoped to one day be a Guardian, approached him. "I've got a message from one of the Pure Ones."

Soren rolled his eyes in disgust. Whatever they had to say was certainly not going to be to his liking. After they'd kidnapped him and made him work as a slave, taking flex from the pellets of other owls, he'd formed a rather negative opinion of them, to say the least. "What position does this fellow hold in the ranks of the Pure Ones?" Soren asked.

"He says that he is the High Tyto and leader."

Soren was confused. After Metal Beak's death, Nyra should have been the new leader, yet the owl had clearly used the pronoun 'he', indicating a male. "They've gotten a new leader?"

"Apparently."

"Who is it?"

"They wouldn't say. Only that he wanted to meet with you, alone."

"Alone?"

"So he said."

Soren remembered what his brother, Kludd, had said about his belief that honor was merely a word for weakness. "How do we know he'll keep his word?" he asked.

"We can have Guardians nearby to help if trouble arises, but I think it's best if we keep our word on our side at least."

Several hours later, Soren stood alone on a lonely hill on the other side of the Sea of Hulameer. Was he walking into some kind of Pure One ambush? Surely they must have great ill will toward them after he had killed their leader, the infamous Metal Beak. A few minutes later, he saw a lone owl approaching. At first, he thought that it was Metal Beak, though he had personally killed Surtr and seen him die. "Who are you?" he asked the Pure One leader.

"You know who I am, Soren." the owl replied. Soren knew that voice. It couldn't be!

"Kludd? Oh Glaux no!" Soren gasped.

"Yes brother, it is I."

"Kludd!" Soren cried again. Despite having just learned that his brother was the leader of the Pure Ones, he reached out and hugged his brother, glad to know that he was alive.

Kludd didn't hug him back, but he didn't tell him off either. "You still with the Guardians, Soren?" he asked.

"Yes. They help the world, unlike the Pure Ones. I cannot believe that you'd still stay with the Pure Ones after they left you to die."

"Yes, they did, but I came back, and I became their leader."

"How?"

"Well, that's an interesting story, brother."


	2. Chapter 4: Kludd's Tale

**CHAPTER FOUR: KLUDD'S TALE**

* * *

"I thought you had died in that fire. You survived."

"Are you surprised?"

"I'm glad that you lived. Now stop this Pure One nonsense and come back home with the family!"

"I'm with my _true _family now."

Soren decided that, for the time being, that it was futile to continue trying to argue with him about the Pure Ones being his "true family". Instead, he asked "So, how _did _you survive, brother?"

"Luckily, I landed near a stream and made it to it, which put the fires out on my body. I passed out and floated unconscious on the water until another owl found me and nursed me back to health. When I no longer needed him, I killed him."

"You what?!"

"I killed him."

"Why would you do such a thing? He never harmed you. He helped you for Glaux's sake!"

"Because I can."

"That's a terrible reason to do it!"

"He served his purpose. I didn't need him anymore."

"Hanging around the Pure Ones has clearly twisted your mind!"

"I'm the new leader of the Pure Ones."

"How did you convince them to make you their leader? You've never told me. How did you win over Nyra?"

"Well, first off, I found the old armor and mask of Surtyr. I found them most useful in becoming the new Metal Beak. My beak and face were ruined by the fire that _you_ threw me into it."

"I did not throw you. You fell in after you tried to pull me into the fire."

"Whatever."

"So, are you going to tell me how you convinced the Pure Ones to make you their leader? Or is this some joke of yours? I'm really hoping it was all a joke and that you're sorry that you tried to help the Pure Ones and that you really didn't kill that owl."

"As I said earlier brother, you don't really know me at all."

"I guess I don't. So, are you going to tell me how you got the Pure Ones to make you their leader?"

"I didn't get them to just make me the leader. I won that title."

"Won it?"

"There were several owls that were higher up in ranking and closer to earning the title of High Tyto. I challenged each and every one of them in single combat to the death and beat them all. Nyra was pleased and became my new wife. I'm the king of the Pure Ones now."

"You married Nyra?" Soren gasped.

"You don't seem too happy about my marriage, brother." Kludd laughed.

"There are better women out there Kludd."

"Like you little friend, the Elf Owl? At least I took another Tyto."

Soren sighed. "Never mind that. Now that you're the leader of the Pure Ones, it's time that we ended this stupid war."

"I agree."

"Good. Now let's put this whole mess behind us." Soren said. He was willing to forgive his brother's attempt to kill him as well as his admitted murder of an innocent owl if Kludd would truly recant his evil ways and they could be a family again.

"You and I should rule the world together."

"What?"

"I was wrong about you earlier. You're stronger than you look. You took down Metal Beak. He wasn't strong like he thought he was."

"Wait, wait. I thought you had taken over the Pure Ones."

"I did. But, surely, you could depose the King and Queen of the Tree and become King of Ga'Hoole. You could rule the Northern Kingdoms and I would rule the Southern Kingdoms."

"You want me to just fly in there and murder King Boron? Are you yoicks?"

"I wouldn't do it so openly like that, obviously."

"I'm a Guardian of Ga'hoole. Such conduct isn't even worth _thinking_ about, let alone doing."

"As I said, your belief in honor is your weakness."

"At least I _have_ honor!"

"But you don't have power."

"I'm not power-hungry. I don't need power!"

"I take it that you won't take my offer, then."

"No."

"Very well. Someday you''ll look back on tonight and regret your actions." The High Tyto flew off, leaving Soren alone.


End file.
